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Sailing simplified

Sailing the Duck Punt

I have now been sailing the duck punt for several months and have mastered the skill needed to truly enjoy the boat in any wind condition. Without the stability of a rudder and centerboard the key to control is really learning to balance your fore and aft position in the boat along with proper sail trim. It takes some practice but once you have it it becomes quite intuitive . The duck punt is fun to sail, inexpensive, and easy to build. My Ebihen 15 took two years to build, but this duck punt was turned out in 4 weeks; with a vacation in the middle. With a proper rack on your car you can transport her easily. My duck punt was built for lightness, weighing in at 87 lbs. I used low cost sandply plywood from HomeDepot for the hull, and cedar fencing for the frames and gunwales. A few left over oak and douglas fir pieces from the building of “Alice Gale” where used in critical spots for strength and toughness. I sheathed the hull exterior with 4 0z cloth. I painted the whole boat with inexpensive porch paint. The sails and spars can be purchased on the internet either new or used. You can also build your own spars and sails if you want. The duck punt makes a great first boat to build, and even a better second, third, or 10th boat.

3 responses to “Sailing the Duck Punt”

Hi Dylan. Yes, I have taken the duck punt out several times while on vacation at our river house on the Colorado River. The current is strong enough that I have to have a favorable wind of greater then 15 knots. It happens enough that I get the opportunity to “race” upstream when i get a 20+ wind gust. The punt is very stable with the weight down so low, but I am required to really keep my weight forward and lean pretty hard on the paddle to keep me going in the right direction. I am good for about an hour of this and then it is a few fast close reaches back down river to my take out lagoon. Takes about 5 minutes to launch so I am motivated when the conditions are right.